A staff attorney is a lawyer who performs services for a specific firm, company, or organization. They are associates with law degrees who have passed the Bar Exam in their states. Staff attorneys work for law firms or other organizations and their duties include research, analysis, and writing about complex legal issues. They research, analyze, and write about complex legal issues and provide legal research and support to the partners in a law firm. Staff attorneys may also draft portions of legal opinions based on their research as well as verify cited sources, and review documents at the request of a partner. Staff attorneys are not on the partner track, which means that they can work in law firms for their entire legal careers and will never be considered for partnership. Staff attorneys are not considered full members of the lawyer community at a firm and are often not invited to many social events at a firm.